The Amazon Rx: Drugstores Go Online

For a thriving retail industry that rakes in close to $100 billion a year, drugstores aren't always the most comfortable way to shop for medicine. You sometimes have to share very personal information not only with the pharmacist but also with your neighbors waiting in line. Hey, look who's on Prozac!

This yen for privacy has prompted a band of start-ups to open an alternative apothecary in cyberspace. Last week Drugstore.com led by former Microsoft executive Peter Neupert, launched its virtual pharmacy and a selection of 15,000 health and beauty products to a rousing chorus of approval. A crush...